A trial lawyer is only as good as his or her persuasive skills.  Most insurance adjusters and jurors have never been seriously injured in a motor vehicle collision, had the death of a loved one caused by the carelessness of a stranger or been seriously disabled  by an incompetent physician.  Most come to the negotiating table or courtroom with a healthy amount of skepticism toward any individual who sues for money damages.  The media onslaught of tort reform that has pervaded our social journalism over the past 20 years has resulted in a presumption in many minds that personal injury/malpractice plaintiff's are:  overreaching, trying to get something for nothing, destroying our economy, wasting our time or at least malingering their actual maladies. 

As a result of the collision, or malpractice, most claimants have been through an emotionally and physically devastating experience. It is very difficult to negotiate on your own behalf. A good personal injury attorney's job is to convince an insurance adjuster and, if necessary, a jury, of the value of your case.  We all view a new story from our unique perspective, based on our beliefs, life experience and prejudices. A good personal injury attorney must change that view so the adjustor or juror sees the collision or malpractice and experiences the pain and suffering and other damages you have sustained, from your perspective.  The adjustor or juror must experience, and believe, the daily and permanent effects of the injuries you have suffered; only then will he or she empathize sufficiently to agree to a fair settlement or award a just verdict. And although money damages can never return an injured body to its previous state of health, or replace a loved one, it is the only way our system can compensate you for your loss.